Formalism Today

The concept of formalism in art continues to evolve through the 21st century. Some art critics argue for a return to the Platonic definition for Form as a collection of elements which falsely represent the thing itself and which are mediated by art and mental processes. A second view argues that representational elements must be somewhat intelligible, but must still aim to capture the object's 'Form'. A third view argues for a dialectic-discursive ontological knowledge. Instead, structuralists focused on how the creation of art communicates the idea behind the art. Whereas formalists manipulated elements within a medium, structuralists purposely mixed media and included context as an element of the artistic work. Whereas formalism's focus was the aesthetic experience, structuralists played down response in favour of communication.

Structuralism's focus on the 'grammar' of art reaches as far back as the work of Marcel Duchamp. In many ways, structuralism draws on the tools of formalism without adopting the theory behind them.

George Edward Foreman (born January 10, 1949) is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and successful entrepreneur.

He became the oldest man ever to become heavyweight boxing champion of the world when, at age 45, he knocked out Michael Moorer, age 26, to reclaim the title he held 20 years earlier.

During the summer of 1973, Foreman travelled to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to defend his title against Ali. The bout was promoted as “The Rumble in the Jungle.”

During training in Zaire, Foreman suffered a cut above his eye, forcing postponement of the match for a month. Ali used this time to tour Zaire, endearing himself to the public while taunting Foreman at every opportunity. Nevertheless, Foreman was a heavy favourite, due in large part to the fact that Frazier and Norton had given Ali four difficult fights, lasted the distance in all, and won two of them, while Foreman had scored TKOs over both in the second round.

When Foreman and Ali finally met in the ring, Ali started on his toes, dancing around as advertised. Such was the intensity of Foreman's attack, however, that he was soon driven into the ropes. Foreman dug vicious body punches into Ali's sides; however, it quickly became clear that Foreman was unable to land a clean punch to Ali's head. The ring ropes, being reasonably elastic in nature, allowed Ali to lean back and away from Foreman's wild swings and then maul him in a clinch, forcing Foreman to expend extra energy untangling himself. To this day, it is unclear whether Ali's pre-fight talk of using speed and movement against Foreman had been just a diversionary trick, or whether his use of what became known as the "Rope-a-dope" tactic was an improvisation necessitated by Foreman's constant pressure.

In either case, Ali was able to counter off the ropes with blows to the face, and was able to penetrate Foreman's defence. As the early rounds passed, Ali continued to take heavy punishment to the body, and occasionally a hard jolt to the head, but Foreman could not land his best punches directly on Ali's chin. Eventually, Foreman began to tire and his punches became increasingly wild, losing power in the process. An increasingly-confident Ali taunted Foreman throughout the bout. Late in the eighth, Ali sprang off the ropes with a sudden flurry of blows to Foreman's head, punctuated by a hard right cross that landed flush on Foreman's jaw. Foreman after being hit in an awkward stance tripped and fell down. He managed to regain his feet, but the referee stopped the bout. Foreman later said that he was not hurt but more shocked that an opponent had knocked him down, which had never previously happened to him. Unsure whether he should immediately get up, he waited until the 8 count purposely before rising, then the ref called the fight. Prior to the bout nobody had ever even hit Foreman hard enough to slow him down,

Foreman also toured the world promoting the George Foreman Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine. Foreman has said that he has made more money from his grilling machine contracts than he made during his entire boxing career, and has suggested that he is better known for the grill than he is for his boxing.

Foreman will not disclose how much he has earned as a product endorser, but he does not dispute a published estimate that his lifetime earnings are about $240 million—three times what he earned in the ring. In 1999, Salton Inc. bought the rights to use his name and selling skills in perpetuity for $127.5 million in cash and $10 million in stock. It stands as one of the biggest endorsement deals for any athlete. Under the original 1995 deal, Foreman had a right to 60% of the profits from the grills, which range in price from $20 to $150. At the height of its success, Foreman received $4.5 million a month in payouts according to former Salton CEO Leonhard Dreimann. But, in the past few years, consumers have put off replacing their old Foreman grills and Salton reported a loss of $3.2 million on sales of $274 million in a recent quarter.

The Foreman Grill is credited with saving millions of Americans and people around the world from the sudden death of coronary thrombosis.

Rumble in the jungle, if only art was as Rousseau as that, we live in anaemic times, a triumph of the formal intellectual concept. Y'all been to Art School and do what you're told now, present and correct, or some curate bitch won't put you in a show.

Here in seedy Christchurch, our best butcher of Manchester Street honours their Dutch heritage by having a Mondrian tile frontage of the famous grid. You can buy your steaks in a Formal Grid building and cook 'em on a Foreman Grill.

That's more than an aesthetic experience, it's more , well, visceral and satisfying.

I think most people are frightened of art, and contrary to what it looks most artists just wish to be heard and to do and say what they like. Art is not a premeditated medium with a purpose prior to its execution. Neither are formal intellectual concepts wrong, they shouldn't be discredited nor should they be served on a plate as resource material by intimidating waiters. When literature is served it mustn't behave like an antidote towards the existing fact. In fact it can't be served at all, two meaningless opposites pushing the limits of their augment about which one is more right is not a fact. It can be dressed as fact which is where it exists in a second life when meaning and symbolism become front end justifications and art is forced to bring itself to the absent. Salton CEO Leonhard Dreimann faced the sun all day long so he got grilled, it didn't make his shadow any more or less Platonic.

"A third view argues for a dialectic-discursive ontological knowledge. "

Can someoen tell me what this means? Seriously. I never went to art school or university, the closest I got was a polytec course in archatectural draughting...But I'm keen to learn.

"In the clearing stands a boxerAnd a fighter by his tradeAnd he carries the remindersOf ev'ry glove that layed him downOr cut him till he cried outIn his anger and his shame"I am leaving, I am leaving"But the fighter still remains

I do know that the Mondrian is a good painting however. About 12 years ago I had the priviledge of seeign Mondrians with my own eyes and in the flesh as apposed to repros in books. I wasnt prepared for how_ painterly _ they are!

Ontology is the philosophy of being; like the Hindu concept of Darshan, the act of divine seeing or revelation. The more attention paid to a God , the more it was looked at, the greater its power, the more easily it could be seen.You go to see your God and, in doing so, you contribute to its visibility; the aura emanating from it derived in part from the power bestowed upon it. A bit like an Andy Warhol print, or the worship of celebrity where the more a celebrity is photographed, the stronger the aura of a celebrity becomes.

I really don't think art is frightening, food is not that frightening- only in scary overpriced restaurants, and art when in a gallery. Still it looks better on a white plate/wall cos then you know it's art, otherwise it just lies on a footpath and a pigeon eats it or, it's in Scape so nobody notices it from all the other crap laying around the place.

Ah! Thanks for th explanation of Ontology - a phenomenon I can understand and once believed I had thought up all by myself. I asked my more intelligent partner who has been to university and studyed papers like "phenomenology of universal religion", but she assures me that I'd be better off sticking to Terry Prattchet.

A bit like going to galleries and art museums really.. by our devotion and attendance we give them power and authority. I've allways felt a bit uncomfortable in galleries though. I prefer to worship art in the rough. I love artists studios. That painting by McCahon "I'm Scared" was apparently inspired by a photograph in the newspaper of two Moari boys peerign around the gallery wall looking like they were totaly lost, confused and scared.

Isnt it easy to turn scared into sacred by a simple slip of the fingers..?